SCHOOL BOARDS
In separate meetings this week, two school boards in different parts of Eastern Williamson County mapped out plans for their futures, including reviews of new campus construction.
In Granger, the Granger Independent School District board held a special-called meeting before a regularly scheduled session Feb. 12. Trustees discussed progress on a new high school and athletic complex.
Trustees with the Coupland Independent School District met a day later to provide an update on the new middle school.
The Granger ISD specialcalled meeting lasted only three minutes, and related to GISD’s District of Innovation program, which updated fourteen DOI innovations for school years 2025-30.
The information will be posted for 30 days on the district’s website before a vote is taken at March’s board meeting. For more, visit grangerisd. net/.
The regular meeting began by honoring three students of the month, with one each from the elementary school, middle and high schools.
Granger ISD is in the process of building a new high school and a new athletic complex, slated for completion in time for the 2025-26 school year. Stephen Berry of Berry & Clay Construction presented slides and drone videos of the progress.
The high school is 75% complete, but the athletic complex is only 47% complete, trustees learned. Work has remained within budget and is on schedule, although recent rains have moved deadlines, officials said.
Ed Mullins of Project Control addressed these concerns, offering suggestions to help dry the athletic field, such as pumping out water and spreading limestone. Also on the table were furniture purchases and matching paint and fabric choices to match the Granger mascot colors.
Other business related to Granger ISD’s new construction involved the Texas Department of Transportation.
“The current project on 971 just east of Granger requires an expansion of the highway to incorporate a turning lane so that people can have access to the new facilities,” said Superintendent Stephen Brosch.
The school board approved donating a small portion of its property to TxDOT to build a turning lane.
Meanwhile, Granger Elementary Principal Erin Lawrence proposed the Kindergarten Acceleration Plan, which gives parents the option to request that their kindergarten student be allowed to test out of the grade following district protocols.
Though board President Daryl Stefek initially pushed back on this plan, Brosch maintained, “Other school districts have similar plans in place.”
The proposal unanimously was approved.
A dual-credit program for Granger high school students at Texas State Technical College for the 2025-26 school year was also OK’d.
Just south down Texas 95 in Coupland, the school board Feb. 13 opened its meeting with Principal Brian Booker honoring eight students, one from each grade, as Coupland Cowboy Students of the Month.
Superintendent Earl Parcell presented a Strategic Planning update, which included CISD’s five-year plan.
“It’s important, as we move forward, to always ground ourselves in our mission, our vision and our goals,” he said. “Coupland ISD instills a foundation of academics and character, empowering all students to achieve excellence.” Parcell also showed new drone videos of the middle school project, which is slated for completion in 2026 and will serve students in sixth through eighth grades. It is on time and on budget, he said.
Parcell said the school’s new informational app connects student information directly to the student’s teacher or the school’s front office. Both the school’s app and website translate into Spanish, which Parcell believes has increased overall parental communication with the school.
During a report on academics, Parcell said recent test scores were lower than he and Coupland teachers had expected, noting these were unusual. Educators believe the scores will improve with testing in the spring.
Coupland Mayor Russell Schmidt gave an update on TxDOT’s plans for adding school-zone signs and turning lanes off 95 to the school.
Trustees also voted on updates to 14 District of Innovation items for its five-year plan and it established a new 202526 calendar.
